Mechanism for seaming sheet-metal vessels.



J. E. ABRAMS.

MECHANISM FOR SEAMING SHEET METAL VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1902.

' 930,913. Patented Aug. 10,1909. (0 8 ZSHEETS-SHEET 1. Jgfl' l1 6- 4Z-@ Hi 5 I, V J 1 58 I M W H 38 anuentoz lWitwzo oeo 6M ffim d J. E. ABRAMS.

I MECHANISM FOR summe SHEET METAL ynssELs.

' APPLICATION H1531? AUG. 21, 1908. 930,91 3 Patented Aug. 10. 1909.

. nnrrnn STATES rarest RICE.

' JESSE E. ABRAMS, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CON'I'I'NFNTAL CAN COMPANY,

OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A

CORPORATIONQOF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application filed August 21, 1908. Serial No. 449,646.

To all whom it'may concern.

Be it known that I, Jnssr. E. ABRAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain I new and useful Im rovements .in Mechanism for seaming. hect- One object of the invention is to providean improved construction of machine thatwill first make a preliminary formation in the seam and then a final formation to complete the seam.

Another object is t9; provide a seam-form lng device having a preliminaryroller and a ,p

finishing roller and to operate said rollers so that one roller will perform a preliminary operation on the flanges and the other roller will perform the finishing operation.

Another object is to provide an improved construction of seam-former having a plurality of seaming rollers and to actuate the rollers so that they will be brought into straight contact with the edges to be seamed.

Another object is:to generally improve theconstruction'ofi seamers to better adapt" them to perform their operations with a, minimum amount of wear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in which,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of the complete machine the same. being shown in position above a traveling can-body support which presents the bodies to receive the heads or ends; Fig. 2, is a top plan View of the machine. Fig." 3, is a sectional plan View of the same,-the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 Fig.4, is a similar view of the rollercarrying levers and 1ollers,this section being taken on the line L-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a central vertical section through the device,thesection being taken on the line 5- 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6, is a similar scctionbut at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 5, and this section use a is taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7, shows on a large scale a portion of a can body andhead" or end applied thereto and also shows a fragment of the preliminary bending roll ready to be breught into engagement to effect the first or preliminary bend. Fig. 8, is a similar view but showing the roller in engagement and the rcliininary bend made, and Fig. 9 is a detail of the finishing roller and shows the position the metal takes when theseam is finished.

In the drawings the numeral, 1 ,designates a circular or other shaped shell having a horizontal base, 2, and a plurality of integrallyformed bearings immediately on top of the base. The shell is )referably circular on its inside and a circular head, 4, ,fits snugly therein and a circular plate,- 5, is attached :to

or bolts, 6, and the upper circular edge, 7, of said plate projects over the up er'engl of the circular head and sustains the s iel-l, base and hearings in a pendent position from the uper surface of said circular head.

A shaft, 8, depends from a suitable driving mechanism that will cause it to revolve and also to be reciprocated ,vortically and the lower end of said shaft enters the up or side of the circular head, 4, and sustains t e head and shell in a pendent position over a canbody support, which will presently be described.

The shell is provided with vertical slots, 9,

'which are diametrically opposite each other andat right angles to the slots, 9, it is pro vided with other vertical slots, 10, which are also diametrically opposite each other. therefore to be understood that the shell has four vertical'slots, two of which haveposition at right angles with respect to the other two slots. All of these slots, in the resent instance extend from the circular .p ate, 5, down to the horizontal base plate, 2.

In .the slots, 9, and extending vertically therein I place cam plates, 11. These plates are secured to the side oi the circular head, 4, so as to be carried thereby but the bolts or screws, 12, which secure them to said head do not rigidly engage the plates because I interpose a packing, 13, between the inner sides of the plates and the heads whereby at a certain period in the seaming operation the plates may have the capability of yielding inwardly slightly toward the head as will presently be -the upper end of the shell by means of screws ex lained. The cam-plates, 1.1, see particumovement is provided for the purpose of operating certain preliminary rollers to perform the first step in theseaming, operation as will now be described.

At diametrically opposite sides, the base is provided on its upper side with bearings, 16,

through which a vertical shaft, 17, extends.

and has bearing, and the upper end of each shaft carries a rock arm, .18, which extends circumferentially about the shell in one direction, while the lower ends of said shafts carry rock arms, 19, which extend in a direction substantially reverse to the direction of the arms, 18. It is to be understood from the oregoing description that each shaft, 17 carries' an arm, 18, at its upper end and another arm, 19, at its lower end and that the two arms extend in opposite directions from said shaft so that one may he said to project f orwardly while the other projects rearwardly.

The free end of each lower arm, 19, carries a loose roller, 20, having a circumferential seamin groove,- 21.

It Wi 1 be noted that the shafts, 17, have a vertical position and the arms, 18, and, 19, at opposite ends thereof each have a horizontal osition and further that the rollers, 20, on t e arms, 19, also have a horizontal position. It will therefore be seen that if the shaft is rocked or oscillated the arms and rollers will be swung in and out in a horizontal plane. This movenientis provided so that the rollers may be moved horizontally to engage and operate on the flanges and the movement is effected through the action of the vertical cam plates, 11, as will now be described.

'The arms, 18, at the upper ends of the rock shafts, 17, extend around the shell, 1, as clearly seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the free ends of said arms terminate or have position '50 at the outer side of the cam-plates ll. These free ends of said arms are provided with -u weirdly-extending lugs, 22, which pivotahy sustain a dog, 23.

' By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the dogs have an inner beveled end which contacts with the outwardly-inclined face,

14, of the vertical cam plates, 11, and in the normal position, when the cam-plates are elevated, the inclined or beveled-end of the dogs are at the lowermost end of said cam plates. When in this position the free end of each arm, 18, is in toward the shell as far as it can go, and it isheld in this position by means of coiled springs, 24. It will therefore be understood that the working faces of the dogs and cam-plates are held in yielding contact by means of the said coiled springs. It will also be seen by reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 that the pivoted dogs, 23, are yieldingly held down by means of vertical-extending, coiled springs, 25.

Below the base-plate, 2, I provide a circular disk or head, 26, which is secured to the under side of the base plate by means. of ascrew, 27, or other suitable device that will permit it to remain stationary during the revolution of the base-plate.

Between the circular disk and base-plate I preferably interpose an anti-friction bearing which comprises a circular perforated plate, 28, having balls, 29, in the perforations,- the balls bearing on the bottom side of the base and on the top side of the disk while the plate, 28, merely serves to keep the balls spaced.

In the operation, the entire device is first lowered until the disk, 26, rests upon the can, 30, that is to be attached to the body, 31, at which time the body will. sustain the weight of the shell; the base and the parts carried thereby. The shaft, 8, and circular head, 4, at the lower end thereof are forced down inside the shell, which is then su)- ported by the body, and in moving down the head, 4, carries the cam plates, 11, with it so that as the cam-plates pass down over the beveled end of the pivoted dogs the latter will be forced outwardly or away from the shell and againstthe action of the springs, 24. This outward movement of the dogs throws the free ends of the arms, 18, outward; rocks the shaft, 17, and throws the rollers, 20, on the arms, 19, inwardly and in contact with the metal, as clearly seen in Fig. 8. During this operation the shell, base, and all parts of the device are revolved by the shaft, 8, and the rollers, 20, will perform a preliminary bending operation on the seam, and while this preliminary operation is carried on for a predetermined period or number of revolutions, the shaft, 8, circular head, 4, and cam-plates, 1]., are lowering and gradually forcing the rollers, 20, inwardly about the can head and body. When however the cam-plates are lowered sufficiently to enable the dogs, 23, to pass from the outward inclined surface, 14, onto the inward inclined surface, 15, the dogs will be retracted sufficiently to throw the rollers, 20, out of contact with. the preliminarily formed seam and the further downward movement of the shaft, 8, and head, 4, will operate other devices that will finish or complete the seam. These devices will therefore now be described.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that in addition to the bearings, 16, the base late is provided with bearings, 32, which lave position at diametrically opposite sides and right angles with respect to the bearings,

-'16. Shafts, 33, extend vertically through the saidbearings and carry arms, 34, and, 35, at opposite ends.thereof,the arms, 34, be-

ing at the upper end and extending in one di motion and the-arms, '35, atthe lower end of the shafts and extending in an opposite direction. The'free end of each arm, 34, has

position confronting the vertical slots, 10,

. andcam-plates, 36, are attached to the circu- ,l'llbbel' or other suitable material similar to I have madethe preliminary seam formation the packing, 13, is also interposed between. 'thesecam-plates and the head the purpose .of' which will be presently. described. The free-endsof th arms, 34, carryinwardlylpjectingcaIIl-bIOCKs, 38, which differ from he do'gsf23, in that they have no movement serve-f to keep'the arms 34, and the camblocks, 38, carried thereby, pressed toward thesh'ell. It will therefore be seen that the arms, 34, are to'be moved horizontally by the in one direction will cause the shafts, 33, to

he rocked so as to throw the lower arms, 35,

in an opposite horizontal direction, and as said alatter'arms loosely carry the finishing rollers, 39, with circumferentialgrooves, 40,

.to shape the finished seam said rollers will be thrown into operative contact with the partly formed seam when the head, 4, has been lowered sufficiently to bring the working faces, 37, of the cam-plates into contact with the blocks, 38. After the rollers, 20,

and the dogs, 23, are passing onto the inwardly extending surface, 15, of they cam- -plates', 11, so as to retract the said rollers, 20, the cam-block, 38, will be brought into c'on-' tact with the working face, 37, of the camplates, 36, and the finishing rollers, 39, will then be brought. into, contactwith the seam by the further downward movement of the head, 4, and shaft, 8, and the seam completed. The interposition of the packing between the cam-plates, 11, and, 36, and the circular- I head, 4, serves a useful function in that during the revolution of the rollers, 20, or, 39, about the cam-body and head, the rollers must pass over the lapped edges of the body which form the longitudinal side seam of the cam, and at said seam there is more metalthan at other points in the body. Unless provision is made to take up the shock on the rollers while they ride over the seam, some part of the seamer will be subjected to that shock at each revolution of the head, and 1 independent of the arms which carry them. "These blocks project into the slots, 10, and

the normal inoperative condition, have position below the working face, 37, of the fcam-'plates, 36. The'coiled springs, 24, that hold-the arms,'-18, in toward the shell also have found in practice that by placing a packing behind the cam-plates noise and wear are both avoided.

In practice the can bodies with the heads applied, ready for seaming are preferably placed on a conveyer, 41, and there by successively moved to the seamer.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, I

1. In a device of the character described thecombination with a shell, of a head movable in the shell, cam-plates carried by the head, cushioning means between the cam plates and head, rollers sustained by the shell and levers operating between the cam plates and rollers. r

2. In a seaming machine the combination with a vertical shaft, of a head at the lowerend of said shaft and movable therewith;

cam plates carried by said head; a shell en circling the head and suspended therefromand'having vertical slots through which the cam plates in the head may project; vertical shafts carried by the shell; two rock arms on each shaft andone arm of each shaft projecting into the path of the said cams and the other arm of each shaft carrying a seaming roller.

3. In a seaming'machine the combination with a hollow shell having a base plate with slots extending vertically in the shell above the base plate, of vertical shafts extending through the base of the shell and carrying a rock arm above said plate and another arm below said plate; a roller mounted on each arm at the lower "ends of said shafts; a head movable vertically in the shell; cam plates carried by said head and rejecting outwardly in the slots .of the she l for operating the rock arms on the upper ends of the vertical shafts. p

4. In a seaming machine the combination with a vertical shaft, of a head at the lower. end of said shaft and rigidtherewith; cam plates extending vertically'at the side of the head and movable therewith; a shell fitting over the head and'suspended therefrom-and having vertical slots through which the vertical cams on the inclosed head may project,said shell also. having a horizontal base plate, a revoluble disk carried at the bottom side of the suspended shell 'a plurality of shafts extending through the base plate; a rock arm on the upper end of each shaft and movable by the cams on tho in'closed head; an arm on the lower end of each shaft and a roller on each of said latter arms.

5. In a seaming machine the combination with a vertical shaft, of a head at the lower end of-said shaft and rigid therewith ;'cam plates extending vertically at the side of the head and movable therewith; a yielding packing between the cam plates and head; a shell encircling the head and suspended from which the cam plates reject; rook-arms carried: by the shell; rol ers on said arms,

and means operating between the cam plates and rock arms for swinging the latter.

6. In a device ofthe character described the combination with a shell having a base plate and a plurality of slots extending vertically therein above the base plate, of a head movable in the shell above the base plate, aplurality of cam-plates carried'by the head and projecting into the slots of the shell, arms pivotally mounted beneath the base plate, a roller carried by each of said arms, means on the upper side of the base plate'to coact with t e camlates in the slots, and means operating etween said latter means and the pivoted arms to move the rollers in a horizontal plane.

7. The combination with a reciprocating head, of a shell suspended from said head and having a plurality of vertical slots, camplates carried by said head and projecting through the slots of the shell whereby to lOCK the head and shell in rotary engagement, a base plate carriedby the shell below the head, rock-shafts passing through the base plate, arms on the'upper ends of the rock-shafts and carrying projections at their ends that enter said slots and engage the cam-plates, arms on the lower ends of the rock-shafts, rollers on said latter arms, and a disk at the bottom side of the base plate between said rollers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE E. ABRAMS. Witnesses:

FELIX R. SULLIVAN, G. FERDINAND Voer. 

